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  "path": "/2026/03/24/ios-26-4-adds-two-carplay-features/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-24T13:55:13.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.macrumors.com",
  "tags": [
    "CarPlay",
    "iOS 26",
    "iOS 26.4 was released today",
    "supports voice-based conversational apps",
    "Apple is testing a new Siri app for iOS 27",
    "iPadOS 26",
    "HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology",
    "iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay",
    "MacRumors.com",
    "Discuss this article"
  ],
  "textContent": "iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps.\n\n\nTo update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later.\n\nBelow, we have outlined the two new CarPlay features.\n\n\n\n## Ambient Music Widget\n\n\nCarPlay gained support for widgets on iOS 26. To view them, swipe right on CarPlay's interface until you reach the Dashboard screen, shown below.\n\n\nStarting with iOS 26.4, both the iPhone and CarPlay now have an Ambient Music widget option.\n\nApple introduced the Ambient Music feature on iOS 18.4 last year. It offers curated playlists based on themes such as Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing, with no Apple Music subscription required to listen to the songs.\n\nTo add the Ambient Music widget to a CarPlay widget stack, open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on General → CarPlay → [Your Vehicle] → Widgets → Add Widget, select the Ambient Music option, and tap on the Add Widget button.\n\n\n\n## Chatbot Apps\n\n\nStarting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based conversational apps, according to Apple's CarPlay Developer Guide. This means that chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude will be able to extend their iPhone apps to CarPlay for voice-based conversations, should any of them choose to do so.\n\n\nOf course, Apple's own assistant Siri remains available on CarPlay, without needing to open an app. It was recently reported that Apple is testing a new Siri app for iOS 27 with chatbot-like functionality and conversation history, so it will be interesting to see if that Siri app is available on CarPlay in a voice-only state later this year.\n\nRelated Roundups: CarPlay, iOS 26, iPadOS 26\n\nRelated Forums: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology, iOS 26\n\n\nThis article, \"iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay\" first appeared on MacRumors.com\n\nDiscuss this article in our forums\n\n",
  "title": "iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay"
}